INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTANT

INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTANT

Position Summary
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation is an indirect, multilevel service where consultants collaborate with adults in young children's lives to enhance their ability to support healthy social-emotional development. In this program, consultants specifically partner with and support early childhood care and education providers in both center-based and home-based environments.
IECMH Consultants undergo specialized training to deliver mental health consultation using an evidence-based framework. This project aims broadly to decrease suspension/expulsion rates in Early Childhood Education (ECE) settings, with a specific focus on reducing racial disparities in these rates. Consequently, a strong commitment to equity, anti-bias, and anti-racist practices is essential for this role. The program values culturally specific and culturally responsive services, and individuals whose race, ethnicity, culture, and/or language reflect the community served are strongly encouraged to apply.
The IECMH Consultant supports licensed childcare centers, group childcare homes, registered family childcare homes, childcare aides, and relative care providers within Multnomah County. This role involves building partnerships with parents, professionals, and community organizations serving infants, young children, and families. The Consultant will be an integral part of the xxx team and will report to the Project Supervisor. A valid driver's license is required.
This is a Full-Time position 40 hrs. a week Monday through Friday, evening and weekend hours may be required.  This Position reports to Anasa Abdulkadir, Program Manager for IECMHC.
RESPONSIBILITIES 
The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the items listed below:
1.    Provide relationship-based, preventive interventions to foster the mental health of infants and young children, addressing behaviors that could lead to suspension or expulsion.
2.    Support consistent communication with providers and caregivers regarding early relational health and developmental concerns in infants and young children.
3.    Develop written intervention strategies collaboratively with a team to aid providers in implementing approaches that support optimal social-emotional development in infants and young children.
4.    Independently prioritize and manage daily tasks using sound judgment and discretion.
5.    Demonstrate humility and awareness of racial, linguistic, cultural, social, economic, individual, and role differences in interactions with providers, infants/young children, and families.
1 Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs Innovation Hub: IECMH Consultation as a Best Practice 
6.    Engage constructively in supervisory sessions by presenting insights and formulating pertinent discussion points.
7.    Comply with all stipulations concerning data and program protocols.
8.    Initiate referrals to relevant external resources for children and families, as deemed necessary.
9.    Conduct group and individual instruction on social and emotional well-being, encompassing subjects such as infant and early childhood development, trauma-informed care, attachment theory, and self-care practices. Additional pertinent subjects shall be addressed as required.
REQUIREMENTS 
1.    Humility, empathy, curiosity, and flexibility are essential capacities.
2.    Ability to work at multiple levels (groups and individuals; providers and families)
3.    Effective communication skills (verbal and written) 
4.    Comfort and skill in engaging in conversations about racism, bias, and equity
5.    Capacity to foster strong professional relationships
6.    Familiarity with early childhood care & education programs
7.    Endorsed2(IMH-E® or ECMHE®) as Family Specialist, Mental Health Specialist, or Mental Health Mentor
8.    Applicants who are not yet endorsed can submit a plan of work for how and when they will earn Endorsement within 24 months of being hired
9.    Promoting reflection in early childhood care and education settings is a critical role for consultants. Preference for those with the Endorsed Reflective Supervisor add-on to an IMH-E® or ECMH-E® Endorsement
10.    Consultants must possess mental health training to effectively address the relational health of infants and young children, especially those with trauma or neurodivergence. Key competencies include:
a.    Applying mental health lens to understanding infant and young child social-emotional development.
b.    Establishing strong therapeutic relationships with consultees.
c.    Demonstrating and promoting reflective practice and self-awareness.
d.    Adapting to and incorporating new mental health consultation approaches.
e.    Recognizing potential risks to infant/young child mental health and development requiring referrals for more intensive support.
Required mental health training can be documented in multiple ways: 
Pathway 1. Experienced Mental Health Professional 
●    Master’s degree in mental health
●    Licensed or license-eligible and trained in their field 
●    1–2 years of work experience as a mental health professional (preferred)

● Endorsed in IMH-E® or ECMH-E® (or willing to earn Endorsement) 
2 ORIMHA offers IMH Endorsement for those whose experience is primarily pregnancy up to age 3 years and ECMH Endorsement for those whose experience is primarily 3-6 years of age. ORIMHA offers the ability to apply and receive bilingual/bicultural support for Endorsement in Spanish and English. 
OR 
Pathway 2: Experienced Professional without a master’s degree in Mental Health Applicants with one of the following meets the mental health training requirement:
●    At least 2 years of experience in a related infant/early childhood field AND Endorsed (IMH-E® or ECMH-E®) as Family Associate or Family Specialist (no degree required for these categories of Endorsement) AND Completion of at least 4 hours on each of the 5 mental health topics identified above (10. a-e) from an Association for Infant Mental Health (AIMH) for a minimum of 20 hours total
●     Infant/Toddler Mental Health Online Graduate Certificate Programs from Portland State University 
●     Online Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health | Georgetown SCS
●     Online Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Family Leadership | Georgetown SCS 
●    Other advanced training in IECMH 

Salary $26 - $35 per hour (equivalent to $54,000 - $72,800 annually for full-time positions).

CAIRO offers the following benefits for this position:
11days of accrued Paid Time Off per year.
6 days of accrued sick time.
Up to 16 paid company holidays.
Medical and dental insurance with employee-only premiums covered 100% by CAIRO.
Low-Cost Vision insurance.
401(k) plan with an up to 3% employer match.

NOTE: This agency believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to our success. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee. At all times, employees will be required to follow any instruction and perform any other duties within this or a lower job level upon the request of the supervisor. At times, employees may also be required to perform higher-level duties.